The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-02-02

An Ex.Boardsng- House Keeper Tells 9


~ have at last managed to get out OF
the boarding-house business and can
assure you that nothing on earth will
induce me to take 1t up again for living
II I can help 1t said Mrs. Perry to the
writer.
" It isn't liying--it's simply a trying
existence, and that's all, she con-
tinued.
Every time you pick up paper. al
most, you come across some horrld
Joke on the poor boarding-housh keeper
about tough beef and ancient turkeys
INT how rarely word about the tough
boarders !--boarders who find fault with
everything, their room, the service, and
particularly the food.
= Let me tell you little story illua,
lratlng what landladies have to put UP
with.
GA nice hoarder that had was such q
dear ilttia widow. Young, handsome,
and SO charming the young men-and
old ones, too, for that matter-at once
pronounced her.
She brought her child, . little girl OF
years. and q maid with her. and took
my hest room for herself end very
good one for Che maid. She also had o
littlo sk$terrier.
Her references couldn't have been
better. and besides she had friends
living IN the neighborhood who moved
In the best society
"Of course she was the most admired
lady In the house; all the mon. young
and old, married and single. were crazy
after her. and. singular as 1t may seem.
the women were too. She paid her
board promptly for three or four weeks
and had numerous extras. She seemed
to have all the money she wanted and
more too.
One day she came to mo and said It
was a good deal of trouble for her
to pay each week. As she only drew
her money once q month she hated. she
said, to keep somuch on hand, therefore,
would II be Just as convenient for me to
take 1t once d month?
Certainly 1 had no objections. AS
II began TO be near the time for her
bill 70 be duel noticed that she acted
very depressed and was found crying
once or twice.
:. Everybody was deeply sympathetic,
but all that could be gotten from her was
that she was worried but thought every
thing would be soon all right We
mustn't trouble ourselves about her.
she wasn't worth It, was her reply to
inquiries.
. Finally, one day she sent for me to
come to her room. She was crying ap-
parently very bitterly. Between her sobs
. she managed to tell me that the bank
In which she had kept her money had
failed and she had lost every dollar.
What was she to do2
s' told her to take things easy and
perhaps something would turn up. Yes,
she thought her friends would help
her. OF course told her that she was
perfectly welcome to remain where she
was few days or week. until she
had made some arrangements.
~ thought at least she might have
offered to change her rooms for smaller
ones, 80 as to give me q chance Ia
let them. But she did not, and not
only that but she found fault with the
table and really made herself very dis
agreeable, and then was making her a
present OF her board.
g She kept this zap until could not
stand 1t any longer, Without giving any
sign q paying up or leaving Then
spoke 10 her about 1t and she resented
my remarks. Al this told her she
must go and that would feel Obliged "a
keep her luggage until she settled her
bill.
. She smiled and said, very we'll, and
left that night-child, maid. dog and
all. Out she went straight to a rival
boardlng.house nearby and took several
Of my beat boardor5, too.
e She told them that her remittance
had been only two Days lntc, and that
had not only refused to wait that short
time for her money, bnt had insulted
her by calling her a sharper and good
ness what all,
+" You cnlf imagine what storm such
q story created. and my men boarders
were especially furious at me.
. And what do you suppose I found
In that woman's trunks? Two or three
fiat irons--to make them heavy, ]
suppose--seyeral old dresses and LOT
OF newspapers. suppose her maid
must have been systematically carry.
Ing away all her handsome dresses fol
some time"